Asterix At The Olympic Games review

Reviews

Feb 1st 2008 By Total Film

Last time around they were in Egypt, aiding Cleopatra’s architect. Here, our indomitable Gallic duo Astérix and Obélix (Clovis Cornillac as the latest Astérix, with Gérard Depardieu reprising Obélix for the third time) trek to the inaugural Olympic Games in Athens. Their task: to triumph in order for fellow villager Alafolix to earn Greek Princess Irina’s hand in marriage. AATOG is reportedly the priciest Euro-production to date, but sadly it’s a disappointingly weightless hotchpotch of live action and CGI. There are plenty of apt star cameos (Zinédine Zidane, Michael Schumacher) and topical gags about performance-enhancing drugs, corrupt officials and suicide chariots. But Astérix and Obélix are sidelined by a buffoonish Brutus (Benoît Poelvoorde) and a predictable romance, leaving the comic-book magic of creators Goscinny and Uderzo lost in translation.